The Pharmacology of Synapses

Essay # 54537

Biology > Biotechnology
Biology > Molecular and Cell

A description of synapses and their function with examples as to how they can be used in the treatment of diseases and also in drug abuse.

1,122 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2004 United Kingdom

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the nervous system is one of the major regulatory systems in the human body and like other systems is comprised of various organs and tissues. It looks at how the most important of these tissues are the nerve tissues which are composed of neurons and support tissues. It provides a summary of the synaptic structure and function as well as a description of the uses that modern drugs can have on the synapses to treat diseases.

From the Paper:

"In excitatory responses an excitatory neurotransmitter, such as Acetylcholine, is released into the synaptic cleft. To begin with this only slightly depolarises the post synaptic membrane and is called an excitatory post synaptic potential. This makes the post synaptic membrane more easily stimulated if more neurotransmitters are released then depolarisation can occur more easily along the post synaptic membrane as described above. This excitatory post synaptic potential lasts only a few seconds and usually the postsynaptic membrane only can become depolarised if several end bulbs do this simultaneously, this is known as spatial summation. Another way in which the post synaptic membrane can become depolarised is if the end bulb receives many impulses very close together therefore releasing more neurotransmitter than normal, this is known as temporal summation."